Her Guardians: Her Guardians Trilogy Book 1 (15 page)

Chapter 8

I was a little unsure of what Michael’s plans were for today so I broached the subject of him taking me home.

“I would like you to stay with me again tonight.
That’s if you don’t mind?”

“I don’t,
but I need more clothes.” I was suddenly giddy at the prospect.

“Well
, I can run you home on the bike to grab a few things, we can go for a little ride, then we can order some dinner from a local takeaway. How does that sound?”

I couldn’t think of anything better.
“Sounds great.”

“Good.
I want you with me as much as I can have you.” He sighed, looking a little sad all of a sudden. “I’m going away next week.”

My shoulders slump
ed at the news and I felt a pout forming. “Where are you going, and for how long?”

“Until Friday
. I’m going to a firearms course. I wish I never applied now.” Pausing for a moment, he turned towards me. “Hey, will you take Friday off so we can spend a long weekend together? It would be something to look forward to.”

“Of course.
I would love to.” I smiled, then realised his face has dropped again.

“I guess I’m going to have to leave you in the hands of Stephen until then.”

I frown, not understanding what he meant. “I don’t understand.”

“Stephen can look after you whilst I’m away.
I don’t like it, but it’s better than leaving you on your own.”

This was just mind-boggling.
I was twenty-five, but I suddenly felt like I was five. “Michael, what are you talking about? I live on my own and have been for a while now without anyone’s help, support, or protection. I think I can cope.”

“I know.
I would just feel better knowing he was around, watching you, keeping you safe.” He suddenly laughed.

“What?”
I was feeling somewhat confused at his sudden personality change.

“
Just last night, I was telling you to keep away from him and now I’m contemplating having him watch out for you. How contradictory is that? I guess I can’t help feeling jealous. I know he likes you and, I must admit, I don’t like it.”

“Then there’s no need for
it.” I take his hand to gain his attention. He turns to me and I smiled. “I’m a big girl. I don’t need Stephen to look after me.”

He smile
d, gripping my hand tighter. “I know, but I don’t think I can leave you knowing that you were left all on your own, vulnerable to anyone who wants to take advantage.”

I shook my head
, sighing. “You act like I’m a bull and the matador is coming.”

He chuckle
d. “Do you always have this way with words? What a strange analogy.”

“Yes, but you knew what I meant
, didn’t you? Listen, I really don’t see how you going away for a few days is going to affect anything. I’ve gone this far without any problems. What makes you think that anything will happen now?”

“I don’t know.”
Michael frowned for a moment. “All I do know is that I worried about you even before I knew who you were. Now that I know you’re the one I’ve been searching for all this time, it just makes it that much harder to leave you. Maybe I should cancel.”

I shook
my head. “Don’t be silly. You signed up for this ages ago. What will they think of you if you cancelled so suddenly?”

He stroked
my cheek and I leaned into this touch. “Okay.” He smiled brightly. “On one condition. You let Stephen take care of you. Otherwise, I won’t go.”

I sigh
ed, giving in. I didn’t like it, but if it made him feel better, who was I to complain. “Okay, sure thing.”

“Come on
. Let’s get going to your place so we can hurry back.” He rose from the bed, then turned around to face me. “By the way, I’ve already spoken to Stephen about next week. Surprisingly, he’s more than willing to be your guardian while I’m away.”

I shook
my head again, but do not argue with him. Instead, I stand and gather all my belongings from last night.

**********

After packing some clothes for the rest of the weekend, we head back to Michael’s and order some Indian food. He lit the fire and set two candles on the coffee table in front of the sofa. It was the most romantic setting I had ever been in. We sat on the floor and took turns feeding each other, which resulted in a lot of giggling. We had to giggle; otherwise, it would have gotten way too serious. No matter how much I wanted to get serious, I knew he would break away. It wasn’t worth getting all pent up over.

“You know how fascinating you are to me?”
We had just finished our meal and I had been watching him the whole time.

Shocked, he
looked at me. “Why?”

“You know, it’s a funny thing.
If I wasn’t the way I am, I think you telling me that you come from some heavenly universe would have made me think you were bonkers. For some reason, I just believed you straight away. Isn’t that funny?”

He
looked off into the fireplace for a moment, pausing. “I think you’ve known for quite some time that you’re different,” he finally said. “Wouldn’t you say you always felt that about yourself?”

I laugh
ed a little. “You know, I always thought I was cursed.”

“Why’s that?”

“I don’t know. I think it was just because I could see things I really didn’t want to see. I never started a relationship with anyone because I already knew about them before we could even start to date. It was the most off-putting thing ever. I can’t stand it at times—getting inside people’s heads. I don’t want to know about who they were with last night, or what fight they’re going to have tomorrow night. I just don’t want to see it. At the same time, I want to do good. I want to be able to help with what I have if I can. Something has always held me back, though. I’ve always had that feeling. I don’t know where it comes from.”

Taking my hand
, he gently rubbed it with his finger. It instantly sent goose bumps rising and the burn started again. He only had to touch me slightly and it sent me into overdrive.

“I think there may have been a reason why your instinct has been telling you
that. What about now? Do you still feel that way now?”

“A little, I suppose.
Although, if there was some way of doing it in secret, that would be good.”

Michael, lost in thought for a moment, suck
ed in some air, released it, then said, “Mark Richards. You saw it all, didn’t you? You went out and touched his hand on purpose. That was dangerous, Cassie.”

I winced a little
, knowing I had been caught. “I know it was, but I just wanted to help. I saw him do it. I saw it in his head. He wanted revenge. The little boy’s parents owed him money for drugs and they wouldn’t pay. He wanted to show them he meant business. His intention was never to kill the boy. He just wanted to send a message. The problem I had next, though, is I knew he wanted to follow me. In fact, if you hadn’t come along, that’s exactly what he would have done.”

“That’s why it’s so important for you to
be careful with your gift. If it was a matter of just feeling an object someone owns, that would be perfect. For you, it’s a lot more... hands on.”

I start
ed laughing. “Yes, you could say that.” In my haze, I suddenly had this funny thought, and I couldn’t help but ask. “This is going to sound really weird, but you don’t have wings, do you?” His laughter shocked me. It was almost as though I had told the funniest joke.

“No, we don’t have wings.”
I nodded my head and look into the fire. “Not down here anyway.” He smiled widely, letting me know he was joking.

I still couldn’t hide the look of shock as my mouth hung open.
He laughed again, getting up to take our plates. I offered to help, but he wouldn’t let me.

“Tell me,” I said, once he was back.
“What is it like where you’re from?”

Michael scratche
d his head for a second and smiled. “It’s beautiful. Everywhere you look, there is beauty and kindness. It tends to fill you with an appreciative sense of hope and fulfilment.”

“Wow!
Why on earth would you want to come here then?”

“Someone had to
, Cassie. I was only too keen to do it. The angels work extremely hard to make everyone happy, and to make the world a safer place. I was only too willing to offer them something in return. Any of us would.”

It was hard to imagine any of this.
I always believed in the afterlife, simply because I had to have been given what I have from somewhere. Deep down, I always knew that angels existed, and now I had my very own guardian angel. The thought of it made me smile.

“So how do they decide on
who you protect? How do they know with whom to pair you up? I take it you were chosen to search for me for a reason.”

“Yes, that’s right.
I don’t know why they chose me for you. I’m considered the best they have. I think you must hold something more than what the others have. I don’t know.”

The thought that they chose their very best frightened me a little.
What could I possibly have that the others don’t? Why did I deserve the special treatment?

“Who chose you for me?”
I had to ask. I was more than intrigued.

“A very dear and close
Archangel called Charisma. She was very specific about my mission. She seemed very adamant that I find you and take care of you.”

“Did she say anything about falling in love?”
I had to blush a little. I never thought I would say that in a million years.

Michael
took my hand, smiling. Placing his hand on my cheek, I close my eyes in sweet surrender. His touch was nothing I had ever felt before…well, except for Stephen’s.

That really does sound bad!

“No, she didn’t, Cassie. It was not something I thought would happen. I don’t feel that way about many people. As you know, there has only ever been one and she broke my heart. It is very rare that I would let anyone in. You’re the first mortal that this has happened with, so the subject would never have been brought up.”

This new piece of information shocked me a little.
“So you’re saying that no angel has ever fallen in love with a mortal before?”

“No, I don’t think so.
Not in any history I know.”

I shook my head
, trying to wrap my brain around it. “That’s insane. How can that possibly be?”

“Well, we normally find our mates where I’m from.
Once we do, it’s for life. Obviously, my story is the exception to the rule. Sometimes, some angels don’t like sticking to the rules…as you already know by now.” He smiled brightly and patted my hand.

“So you’re an angel?”

“Yes.”

“And the people who rule your wo
rld are, like, Archangels and are higher than you?”

“Yes, that’s correct.
There is a certain amount of hierarchy.”

“So,
can you become an Archangel then?”

Michael sighed
, looking up to the beautiful painting on his wall before replying, “Yes. I’ve actually been offered the position.”

“Really?”
This was getting more and more interesting.

“Yes, but I turned it down.”

“Why?”

“Because
I like serving too much. I like to take the orders and be in control. Besides, a lot of the other angels have mates and it would hurt me to think that they were sent on a mission I could easily go on. I have no one there to go back to in that sense. It would seem pointless to me to put someone else through that.”

Could he be
any more perfect? He was too good to be true. Every time he opened his mouth, I kept thinking there wasn’t anything else he could say that would make him more swoon-worthy.

Thinking about what he
said, though, I suddenly started to worry a little. “What happens when your mission is complete, Michael?”

He looked
away, pained. I suddenly wished I had never asked. What if I don’t like the answer?

“I go home
,” he whispered.

That was it.
That was the answer I didn’t want to hear.

“But what if I wanted you to stay?
Can’t you stay?” I sounded like a whiney child. I had to know, though. What was the point in carrying on what we had if he was going to end up leaving me once his mission was complete?

“It’s complicat
ed, Cassie. If I chose to stay—.”

“So you
could
stay?”

“Yes, but I would never be able to go back.
It would mean sacrificing the thousands of years of hard work that has gone into where I am now.”